Git Amend Commit - Shell/Bash

As a programmer, you may often find yourself needing to amend or modify the last commit that you made. This can be to add a few more changes or to correct any mistakes that were made in the previous commit.

In such cases, Git's "amend commit" feature can come in handy. Using this feature, you can modify the last commit without having to create a new commit. This ensures that your Git history remains clean and concise.

How to Amend a Commit

To amend a commit in Git, you can follow these steps:

1. Make the necessary changes to the files that were included in the last commit.
2. Stage the changes using the git add command.
3. Use the git commit --amend command to modify the existing commit.

Understanding the git commit --amend Command

The git commit --amend command allows you to modify the most recent commit. When you run this command, Git opens up the commit message in your default text editor. You can make any changes to the message, save the file, and exit the editor.

If you only want to modify the commit message and not make any changes to the files, you can use the --no-edit option. This will modify the commit message without opening the text editor.

Using git commit --amend with Shell/Bash

You can use the git commit --amend command in Shell/Bash in the following way:

$ git add file(s)  # stage the changes
$ git commit --amend -m "new commit message" # modify the last commit message

In the above command, replace file(s) with the name(s) of the file(s) that you want to modify. You can also replace "new commit message" with the updated commit message.

Conclusion

The git commit --amend command can be a useful tool for programmers who want to modify the last commit. By using this feature, you can keep your Git history clean and avoid creating unnecessary commits. It is also easy to use with Shell/Bash and Git's command-line interface.